THE family of a three-year-old Bridgwater girl who suffers from leukaemia have made a heartfelt plea for more people to register as blood donors.

Sophie Holt has received more than 20 units of blood and platelets during treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

She was diagnosed in May, and now needs transfusions because her bone marrow is producing leukaemia cells, which interferes with her body’s normal production of red cells and platelets.

She has had an initial aggressive course of chemotherapy and is now on maintenance chemotherapy, and has been treated at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital.

Now, as part of a new campaign launched by the NHS called Missing Type, Sophie’s mum Nicola, a part time social care worker for Somerset County Council, told of the family’s ordeal.

She said: “Sophie is currently covered in bruises, which shows her body also requires more help with producing platelets, which also help to stop bleeding.

"She always seems brighter after receiving her transfusions.

"In one week alone, she needed three donations of blood and three of platelets.

"Thank you to all donors for your wonderful gift – I am a blood donor myself and hope my blood has helped someone too.

“I urge people in Somerset to support Missing Type and register as new blood donors at blood.co.uk.”

The appeal is part of a new campaign by the NHS urging people to commit to saving lives by registering as new blood donors during the Missing Type campaign.

NHS Blood and Transplant is uniting with 25 blood donor organisations across 21 countries to highlight an almost 30 per cent international drop in people becoming blood donors last year compared to a decade ago.

Last year, 20,081 people in Somerset gave blood at least once.

New blood donors are crucial for ensuring medical staff have the right mix of blood groups to meet patient need in the years to come.

There is a particular need for more young blood donors and more black and Asian donors.

Throughout the campaign As, Bs and Os - the letters of the main blood groups - are disappearing in everyday and iconic locations around the globe including America, Australia, Japan and Ireland.

In Somerset, key campaign supporters include the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Mike Stredder, NHS director of blood donation, the service that collects, tests and processes blood for hospitals across England, said: “Blood donation is an amazing gift and transfusions save lives in Somerset every day.

"Whether it is patients receiving treatment for cancer, blood disorders, after accidents or during surgery, or new mums who lost blood in childbirth, blood is an absolutely essential part of modern healthcare.

“We need people from Somerset to register today as new blood donors. Don’t worry if you’ve never given blood before and don’t know what blood group you are – you find out shortly after your first donation.

"What’s important is that you register as a donor and book your first appointment to donate.”

To sign up as a new donor, visit: www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.

Support the campaign on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram #MissingType.